Elaine C. Kamarck's Books

Why Presidents Fail And How They Can Succeed Again

By: Elaine C. Kamarck

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Why Presidents Fail And How They Can Succeed Again

By: Elaine C. Kamarck

Failure should not be an option in the presidency, but for too long it has been the norm. From the botched attempt to rescue the U.S. diplomats held hostage by Iran in 1980 under President Jimmy Carter and the missed intelligence on Al Qaeda before 9-11 under George W. Bush to, most recently, the computer meltdown that marked the arrival of health care reform under Barack Obama, the American presidency has been a profile in failure. In Why Presidents Fail and How They Can Succeed Again, Elaine Kamarck surveys these and other recent presidential failures to understand why Americans have lost faith in their leaders—and how they can get it back. Kamarck argues that presidents today spend too much time talking and not enough time governing, and that they have allowed themselves to become more and more distant from the federal bureaucracy that is supposed to implement policy. After decades of "imperial" and "rhetorical" presidencies, we are in need of a "managerial" president. This White House insider and former Harvard academic explains the difficulties of governing in our modern political landscape, and offers examples and recommendations of how our next president can not only recreate faith in leadership but also run a competent, successful administration.

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207

Publisher

Brookings Institution Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0815727801

ISBN 13

9780815727804

Picking the Vice President

By: Elaine C. Kamarck

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Picking the Vice President

By: Elaine C. Kamarck

How Picking the Vice President Has Changed—and Why It Matters During the past three decades, two important things have changed about the U.S. vice presidency: the rationale for why presidential candidates choose particular running mates, and the role of vice presidents once in office. This is the first major book focusing on both of those elements, and it comes at a crucial moment in American history. Until 1992, presidential candidates tended to select running mates simply to “balance” the ticket, sometimes geographically, sometimes to guarantee victory in an must-carry state, sometimes ideologically, and sometimes for all three reasons. Bill Clinton changed that in 1992 when he selected Al Gore as his running mate, saying the experience and compatibility of the Tennessee senator would make him an ideal “partner” in governing. Gore's two immediate successors, Dick Cheney and Joe Biden, played similar roles under Presidents Bush and Obama. Mike Pence seems to also be following in that role as well, although the first draft of history on the Trump Administration is still being written. What enabled this change in the vice presidency was not so much the personal characteristics of recent vice presidents but instead changes in the presidential nomination system. The increased importance of primaries and the overwhelming need to raise money have diminished the importance of “balance” on the ticket and increased the importance of “partnership”—selecting a partner who can help the president govern. This book appears as Joe Biden prepares to choose his own running mate. No matter who wins the November 2020 elections, what Elaine Kamarck writes will be of interest to anyone following current affairs, students of American government, and journalists whose job will be to cover the next administration.

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Brookings Institution Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0815738757

ISBN 13

9780815738756

Primary Politics

How Presidential Candidates Have Shaped the Modern Nominating System

By: Elaine C. Kamarck

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Primary Politics

How Presidential Candidates Have Shaped the Modern Nominating System

By: Elaine C. Kamarck

The 2008 presidential primaries produced more drama than many general election campaigns. John McCain overcame the near-implosion of his campaign to capture the Republican nomination by March, despite a strong challenge from quotable pastor-turned-governor Mike Huckabee. Hillary Clinton entered the Democratic race as the heavy favorite, only to fall to a first-term senator from Illinois in a battle that lasted into July. Democratic delegations from Florida and Michigan were unseated and reseated; superdelegates took to the airwaves; and millions of Americans heard of the "robot rule" for the first time. In Primary Politics, political insider Elaine Kamarck explains how the presidential nomination process became the often baffling system we have today. Her focus is the largely untold story of how presidential candidates since the early 1970s have sought to alter the rules in their favor and how their failures and successes have led to even more change. She describes how candidates have sought to manipulate the sequencing of primaries to their advantage and how Iowa and New Hampshire came to dominate the system. She analyzes the rules that are used to translate votes into delegates, paying special attention to the Democrats' twenty-year fight over proportional representation. Kamarck illustrates how candidates have used the resulting delegate counts to create momentum, and she discusses the significance of the modern nominating convention. Drawing on meticulous research, interviews with key figures in both parties, and years of experience, this book explores one of the most important questions in American politics—how we narrow the list of presidential candidates every four years.

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232

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield

Published Date

ISBN 10

0815703805

ISBN 13

9780815703808

Why Presidents Fail And How They Can Succeed Again

By: Elaine C. Kamarck

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Why Presidents Fail And How They Can Succeed Again

By: Elaine C. Kamarck

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207

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Brookings Institution Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0815727801

ISBN 13

9780815727804

Picking the Vice President

By: Elaine C. Kamarck

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Picking the Vice President

By: Elaine C. Kamarck

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Brookings Institution Press

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ISBN 10

0815738757

ISBN 13

9780815738756

Dirty Tricks in the Digital Age

By: Elaine C. Kamarck,Darrell M. West

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Dirty Tricks in the Digital Age

By: Elaine C. Kamarck,Darrell M. West

How American elections are increasingly vulnerable—and what must be done to protect them Until recently, most Americans could assume that elections, at all levels of government, were reasonably clean and well managed—most of the time. Yes, there were exceptions: some states and localities were notorious for occasional election-rigging, losers often complained that winners somehow had unfair advantages, and money increasingly distorted the electoral process. But even when voters did not like the results, the overall system of elections did not seem nearly as corrupt or warped as in many other countries. That positive view of American politics now seems outdated, even naïve. This new book by Elaine Kamarck and Darrell West shows how American elections have been compromised by what used to be called “dirty tricks” and how those tricks are becoming even more complex and dangerous the deeper we get into the digital age. It shows how old-fashioned vote-rigging at polling stations has been overtaken by much more sophisticated system-wide campaigns, from Russia’s massive campaign to influence the 2016 presidential election through social media to influence campaigns yet to come. Dirty Tricks in the Digital Age looks not just at the past but also toward the future, examining how American elections can be protected from abuse, both domestic and foreign. State governments have primary responsibility for elections in the United States, but the federal government also must play a major role in shaping the system for how Americans cast their votes. The book explores what political leaders are doing and must do to protect elections—and how they can overcome the current toxic political climate to do so. It outlines five concrete steps that state and federal leaders must take to secure the future of American democracy. Dirty Tricks in the Digital Age is a valuable resource for scholars, students, journalists, politicians, and voters—indeed, anyone interested in securing the most basic element of democracy.

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Brookings Institution Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0815738307

ISBN 13

9780815738305

How Change Happens-- Or Doesn't

The Politics of US Public Policy

By: Elaine Ciulla Kamarck

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How Change Happens-- Or Doesn't

The Politics of US Public Policy

By: Elaine Ciulla Kamarck

How do transformative changes in public policy take place? Why do some issues rise to the top of the political agenda, while others are completely ignored? What makes some major policy initiatives succeed--at times, even when the odds are decidedly against them--while others fail or languish for decades? Answering those questions is the purpose of this book. Elaine Kamarck traces the paths of a series of modern policy initiatives from the orderly world of analysis to the messy world of partisan politics.Dissecting the reasons for policy success and failure, she offers an intriguing new perspective on how change happens in the space where politics and policy overlap. --

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Page Count

163

Publisher

Lynne Rienner Pub

Published Date

ISBN 10

1588269396

ISBN 13

9781588269393

The End of Government-- as We Know it

Making Public Policy Work

By: Elaine Ciulla Kamarck

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The End of Government-- as We Know it

Making Public Policy Work

By: Elaine Ciulla Kamarck

Looks at the ways in which government in the United States needs to change in order to cope with the challenges of the new century. The author presents a new model, which is more flexible and less bureaucratic.

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Page Count

157

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1588264947

ISBN 13

9781588264947

The End of Government... as We Know it: Making Public Policy Work

Making Public Policy Work

By: Elaine Ciulla Kamarck

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The End of Government... as We Know it: Making Public Policy Work

Making Public Policy Work

By: Elaine Ciulla Kamarck

In the last decades of the 20th century, many political leaders declared that government was, in the words of Ronald Reagan, "the problem, not the solution." But on closer inspection, argues Elaine Kamarck, the revolt against "government" was and is a revolt against bureaucracy - a revolt that has taken place in first world, developing, and avowedly communist countries alike. To some, this looks like the end of government. Kamarck, however, counters that what we are seeing is the replacement of the traditional bureaucratic approach with new models more in keeping with the information age economy. "The End of Government" explores the emerging contours of this new, postbureaucratic state - the sequel to government as we know it - considering: What forms will it take? Will it work in all policy arenas? Will it serve democratic ideals more effectively than did the bureaucratic state of the previous century? Perhaps most significantly, how will leadership be redefined in these new circumstances? Kamarck's provocative work makes it clear that, in addition to figuring out what to do, today's government leaders face an unprecedented number of options when it comes to how to do things. The challenge of government increasingly will be to choose an implementation mode, match it to a policy problem, and manage it well in the postbureaucratic world.

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Page Count

147

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Published Date

ISBN 10

1040278892

ISBN 13

9781040278895

Primary Politics

How Presidential Candidates Have Shaped the Modern Nominating System

By: Elaine C. Kamarck

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Primary Politics

How Presidential Candidates Have Shaped the Modern Nominating System

By: Elaine C. Kamarck

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Page Count

232

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield

Published Date

ISBN 10

0815703805

ISBN 13

9780815703808

Lies that Kill

A Citizen's Guide to Disinformation

By: Elaine Kamarck,Darrell M. West

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Lies that Kill

A Citizen's Guide to Disinformation

By: Elaine Kamarck,Darrell M. West

Writing in a clear and comprehensive writing style, [the authors] show how the U.S. political, social, and economic environments make disinformation believable to large numbers of people and difficult to stop or prevent." - Library Journal, Starred Review "Everyone, whether they work in the public sector or are private citizens, will find this book invaluable.” - Booklist, Starred Review Disinformation made possible by rapid advances in cheap, digital technology, and promoted by organized networks, thrives in the toxic political environment that exists within the United States and around the world. In Lies that Kill, two noted experts take readers inside the world of disinformation campaigns to show concerned citizens how to recognize disinformation, understand it, and protect themselves and others. Using case studies of elections, climate change, public health, race, war, and governance, Elaine Kamarck and Darrell West demonstrate in plain language how our political, social, and economic environment makes disinformation believable to large numbers of people. Karmarck and West argue that we are not doomed to live in an apocalyptic, post-truth world but instead can take actions that are consistent with long-held free speech values. Citizen education can go a long way towards making us more discerning consumers of online materials and we can reduce disinformation risks through digital literacy programs, regulation, legislation, and negotiation with other countries.

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Page Count

173

Publisher

Brookings Institution Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0815740735

ISBN 13

9780815740735

Primary Politics

Everything You Need to Know about How America Nominates Its Presidential Candidates

By: Elaine Kamarck

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Primary Politics

Everything You Need to Know about How America Nominates Its Presidential Candidates

By: Elaine Kamarck

The 2020 presidential primaries are on the horizon and this third edition of Elaine Kamarck's Primary Politics will be there to help make sense of them. Updated to include the 2016 election, it will once again be the guide to understanding the modern nominating system that gave the American electorate a choice between Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton. In Primary Politics, political insider Elaine Kamarck explains how the presidential nomination process became the often baffling system we have today, including the “robot rule.” Her focus is the largely untold story of how presidential candidates since the early 1970s have sought to alter the rules in their favor and how their failures and successes have led to even more change. She describes how candidates have sought to manipulate the sequencing of primaries to their advantage and how Iowa and New Hampshire came to dominate the system. She analyzes the rules that are used to translate votes into delegates, paying special attention to the Democrats' twenty-year fight over proportional representation and some of its arcana. Drawing on meticulous research, interviews with key figures in both parties, and years of experience, this book explores one of the most important questions in American politics—how we narrow the list of presidential candidates every four years.

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Page Count

253

Publisher

Brookings Institution Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0815735286

ISBN 13

9780815735281

Book's by Elaine C. Kamarck

Why Presidents Fail And How They Can Succeed Again

Why Presidents Fail And How They Can Succeed Again

Picking the Vice President

Picking the Vice President

Primary Politics

Primary Politics

Why Presidents Fail And How They Can Succeed Again

Why Presidents Fail And How They Can Succeed Again

Picking the Vice President

Picking the Vice President

Dirty Tricks in the Digital Age

Dirty Tricks in the Digital Age

How Change Happens-- Or Doesn't

How Change Happens-- Or Doesn't

The End of Government-- as We Know it

The End of Government-- as We Know it

The End of Government... as We Know it: Making Public Policy Work

The End of Government... as We Know it: Making Public Policy Work

Primary Politics

Primary Politics

Lies that Kill

Lies that Kill

Primary Politics

Primary Politics

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